For the record: I have taken so much flack about this, almost daily, for so long, that I want to clear it up.

There is a misconception, actually several, about my political views. Please quote me widely. I AM DEEPLY OPPOSED TO OPEN BORDER POLICY. THE EU GOVERNMENT SOLD YOU OUT. Because of it, among other things, the EU will end badly. Many of the countries in the EU, and more to come, don't meet the criteria for inclusion. I've cited the rules, by statute, elsewhere. Look it up. Their inclusion was a crime. I am opposed to bailouts. I believe Finland should leave the EU. I am strongly anti-EU. It is so corrupt that I think Europe would be better off if it was dissolved. Auditors have refused to approve EU accounts for 18 years in a row. On averarage, four billion euros disappear annually.

I just had the most enjoyable evening (written a few days ago, I’m now in Helsinki) I’ve had in a long time. I’m on the coast, outside of Tampa. I came here to write a new book, visit my son, and do some promotions. I got hungry, decided to go to The Oyster Bar, across the bay and a five minute walk, have a beer and dinner. I love raw oysters and theirs are some of the best I’ve ever had. And cheap. I intended to spend an hour tops, come back to my house and start working again.

I sent the below to various people I work with yesterday, all Goodreads members should all be aware of it and take it seriously. If you’re a Goodreads member, please run a full security scan on your computer, so this doesn’t happen to you, and please pass this along. My computer is clean now. This is safe.

I websearch myself every few days, so I can snag new reviews, get the URLS for interviews, stuff like that, and look for articles I think might be of interest to crime fans. Since I live in Finland, little is written about the new fancy terms for our homegrown Nordic crime writing. When I was first published internationally-it happened very quickly-a few countries/languages in a few weeks, the press wrote about me being the newest addition to the Scandinavian Crime Wave. They dedicated a lot of ink comparing me to Stieg Larsson. I had never read anything by him. It was interesting to be part of a literary movement I had never heard of. I have never wanted to categorize myself in any way. To define a thing is to limit it. Why would I want to do that to myself? But if reviewers wanted to categorize me, I didn’t care. I just want people to read my books.

Racial tensions and the warehousing of poor and jobless immigrants and poor Swedes in segregated neighborhoods finally caused a social explosion in Sweden. The title of this is an exaggeration. The city isn't in flames. A lot of fires have been started. A lot of cars torched. I won’t bother to tell the story, just read the links I’ve collected in reverse order (if you want to read them chronoligically) and you’ll learn all you need to know. It's worth signing up for the free trial, and it's a great news source anyway. My favorite.

Quote: You want dark with your literature? I have some dark for you. The book is HELSINKI BLOOD, and the author is James Thompson. It should come wrapped in a shroud instead of a cover.

Check out my revamped web site. Plus reviews and interviews and scribblings.My website has undergone a major overhaul. I’m still adding content, but have a look. www.jamesthompsonauthor.com. I’ve added a lot more AV material, expanded the international books sections, am adding a lot of new images, review, interviews, all that good stuff. If you have the inclination, sign up for the mailing list while you're there.

Today, I’ve received generous grants from two prestigious Finnish cultural foundations: WSOY:n kirjallisuussäätiö, and Kirjailijoiden ja kääntäjien kirjastoapurahalautakunta. I’m more than honored. When I began my career as a novelist here in Finland, I never dreamed that those who decide what is of cultural value to this nation would deem my work of sufficient merit to reward me for it. I’m humbled and you have my gratitude.

Others who decide what is of literary merit have also been kind to me over the past couple days. Helsinki Blood has been out in the States For about five weeks now. The recent reviews below are characteristic of the perhaps fifty reviews the book has received from major reviewers. I’m pleased and grateful that they’ve found the book praiseworthy. Thanks to all.

Leaving English suburbia as a teenager, Quentin Bates found himself living in Iceland for more than a decade, working mostly as a seaman before returning to Britain and eventually turning to writing for a living, first as a journalist and later turning his hand to crime fiction. The series of novels featuring police officer Gunnhildur Gísladóttir draw heavily on his intimate knowledge of and his deep affection for Iceland.
The third book in the series, Chilled to the Bone, is published in April 2013.

For some years now, I’ve watched the Fox News Channel exclusively. It seemed the only news organization with the courage to tell the truth. But I found these words of wisdom, and they seemed to sum up everything Fox has taught me over the years. You read it too. Take it to heart, and none of us need watch Fox News, or any other news for that matter, ever again. All the truth of the world is contained here within.

I just want to thank everyone. The Helsinki Blood book launch exceeded my wildest dreams. Not only did HB start off like a rocket, but because of it, interest in the Inspector Vaara series made the sales of the other books in the series rise (a LOT) as well. I'm grateful to all of you.